Unwell
by EilanCornflower
Summary: Mikan is a troubled youth, struggling with the memories of her past and the reality that everyone believes she is mentally ill. Natsume is her therapist, struggling with his own demons. Will Natsume be able to figure out the puzzle that is Mikan? And will they be able to find solace in one another, when the skeletons in Mikan's closet come back to haunt her?


**Chapter One **

**I'm not crazy **

_I'm talking to myself in public _

_Dodging glances on the train _

_And I know, I know they've all been talking about me _

_I can hear them whisper_

_And it makes me think there must be something wrong with me _

_Out of all the hours thinking _

_Somehow, I've lost my mind _

_Unwell 

Matchbox20 

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_"Mikan, hide!" Yuka pressed her back against the bathroom door, blood clung to her white T-shirt and dotted her jeans, but her daughter, Mikan was absolutely covered in the stuff. She had been so close to him when…when __**it **__happened. The girl was just staring, blank-eyed, off into space. _

_ "Mikan, __**please!**__" Yuka begged. A loud boom sounded as his hammer hit the wood of the door, splintering it. The blow doubled her over, pain flaring through her back, she squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them, Mikan was gone; hiding in the bathroom cupboard, the girl was so small for her age. Yuka managed a pained smile, at least…at least maybe Mikan would be safe. _

_ "Yuka, come out please." The voice was deceptively gentle, quiet, and polite. Yuka shivered, her past had finally caught up with her, and it had cost her husband his life. Tears formed in her beautiful brown eyes. She let out a choked sob as another blow shook her frame. At least Mikan would make it, Mikan had to make it. The bathroom door flew open, and the man pulled her out. _

OoOoOoOo

Natsume rested his face in his palms. He had a new client added to his workload, and he was barely paid enough for the six he was already dealing with, but what with the shortage of live-in-therapists at the Alice Mental Hospital, he was heavily relied upon, despite not being known for his…_empathy_.

The door cracked open, and he hastily straightened up, looking as professional as he could manage, despite only running on 3 hours worth of sleep and a cup of coffee. A girl stepped in, his new client. She was pretty, normal looking actually, there was no crazy gleam in her big brown eyes, just a resigned look and a hollow sadness. He hadn't seen many like her.

He stayed quiet as she sat down on the old overstuffed couch that occupied half of his small office. She refused to meet his eyes, focusing instead on her flower-print skirt, cherry blossoms, Natsume noticed idly.

"Name and age please." He said quietly, gripping his clipboard. It took her a while to answer, but when she did her voice was just as hollow as her eyes.

"Yukihira Mikan, 18 years old." He studied her, she was awfully small for her age, he had guessed that maybe she was 15 or 16, but his file confirmed that she was indeed 18 years old.

"I'm Hyuga Natsume, your new therapist." He said blandly, scribbling on his notepad.

"I gathered that." She said dryly, motioning to his office. He raised an eyebrow, so she was a smart ass. It was actually refreshing, somewhat.

"Why are you here Mikan?"

"Because I evidently suffer from trauma induced delusions." She said, not looking at him once. Her lack of acknowledgement was beginning to tick him off, but he remained quiet about it.

"What kind of delusions?" he asked, his pen at the ready.

"Damned if I know." Was her only reply.

"Tell me about the incident that resulted in this diagnoses then, Miss Yukihira." Her gaze flickered over to him and she let out a soul-shattering sigh.

"My father was murdered…and my mother was taken."

Natsume's eyes widened, he hadn't heard about her past, of course he'd have to confirm it with his superior, but the way she said it made him believe her.

"That must have been hard for you." He said, trying for sympathy, but only succeeding in sounding bored. She nodded, her mind obviously wandering.

"What about you?" she said, her eyes met him for the second time.

"Me?" he asked, confused.

"You know…" she drew circles in the air with her index finger.

"Name, age, reasons for being here. I think I deserve to know a little about you, if I'm going to be seeing you for a while."

The girl had guts, a lot of his patients were intimidated by him, but she seemed…bored at most. It irritated him, but she was one of the only people he couldn't lash out at, and that was the most irritating of all.

"Hyuga Natsume, 20 years old, I'm here because its work and I need the money." He said honestly enough, technically he could live comfortably with the money from his inheritance, but it felt wrong to him…not earning his own livelihood, and instead living on the death of his parents.

"What sort of things are you interested in, Miss Yukihira." The girl stood up abruptly.

"Knock it off will you? You're not interested in me anymore than I am in you, so just scribble whatever you want on your little notepad and we can both be on our ways." She headed for the door as Natsume struggled to recover his composure.

"I'm interested in being left alone." She said, and flung open the door, disappearing down the labyrinthine halls of the Alice Mental Hospital.

**A/N: I know Natsume is a bit OOC in this chapter, but his job kind of calls for it. I hope to show more of his true personality in the future. Please tell me what you think! **


End file.
